


Never Again

by TheNerdsPapers



Category: X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies), X-Men (Movieverse), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, F/M, Havok - Freeform, Havok X reader, Marvel - Freeform, Xmen, alex summers X reader - Freeform, alex summers imagine, havok imagine, marvel imagine, marvel x reader - Freeform, xmen imagine, xmen x reader
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-02
Updated: 2019-02-02
Packaged: 2019-10-21 01:40:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17633648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheNerdsPapers/pseuds/TheNerdsPapers
Summary: Could you do an alex story where the reader is from the future so they know that alex is dead but they somehow end up in the past and try not to fall in love with him because they know that their heart's gonna get broken but they do anyways. -Anon





	Never Again

**Author's Note:**

> This is a prompt from tumblr

It wasn’t supposed to be this way, but accidents happen. When Kitty began showing stronger abilities than anyone predicted, Charles and Hank set to work at testing just how far they could go. They enlisted my help in this endeavor. I should have said no- I did say no, but I should have been stronger. Charles knew my feelings about time travel. While it was cool, it’s not something that should be messed with, no matter how useful it may appear. It does more harm than good.

Charles had instructed me to just be still. ‘We don’t want to make this any more difficult’, he had said. Right, because that changed things. ‘Only a few minutes, maybe an hour at most.’ Okay, Charles, we’ll have a good conversation then when you explain to me why it’s 1976.

No one paid attention as I walked up the stone stairs to the mansion. People were always coming and going, guest speakers, researchers, associates of the professor’s. I couldn’t help but to chuckle to myself when I walked inside. Even thirty years in the future nothing was different.

“Can I help you find something?” A deep voice asked from behind me. My blood ran cold. I hadn’t heard that voice in years, but there was no mistaking it. Plastering a stiff smile on my face, I turned to meet the face of the man I once loved more than anything.

“No, I’m sorry. I was just looking for Professor Xavier. Is he in today?”

“Do you have an appointment?” My heart ached at the sight of him. Those blue eyes I had drowned in so many times, the perfect arch of his eyebrow when he was suspicious of something, his voice that seemed to vibrate into the air from deep in his chest.

“No, I don’t. It was actually a bit of a last minute thing. You see, I was just passing by and thought I might take a moment to ask him a few questions,” I explained. It was a shoddy excuse, and I knew Alex wouldn’t fall for it for a second, but it was the best I could come up with on the spot.

“Well I’m afraid he’s very busy with getting the school back up and running. You’re going to need to make an appointment,” he said. It was obvious he meant that I needed to leave, but could anyone blame me for being glued to the spot? Deep down I knew it was a bad idea. I couldn’t let myself get attached. It took years for me to finally move on. I needed to go home, where he wasn’t.

“I don’t need to speak to the professor, necessarily.” I bit my cheek. Don’t say any more! “Maybe I could ask you instead?”

Alex narrowed his eyes in confusion. “Me? I’m not sure I’d be very much help to you. Who are you exactly?”

“I’m just… an admirer of your work here. There was never anything like this for me growing up.”

“And you came all this way just to talk?” I was losing him by the second. Any moment now he could throw me right out the door.

“I’m interested in seeing how this could spread,” I added. “One school can only serve so many. I’d be interested in working with this school to open another, possibly on the other side of the country.” A few more white lies couldn’t hurt, right?

“Alright,” Alex nodded, much to my surprise. He held out his hand for a shake. “Say we meet tomorrow? Two o’clock at the coffee shop down on fifth?”

I swallowed before accepting his hand. “Sounds good to me.” What had I done? We weren’t supposed to meet there for another two years.

~

“And that’s how I found myself a part of Charles’ little group of mutants,” Alex finished, bringing his cup of coffee to his lips.

“That’s amazing! And you became a teacher or…”

“Something like that. I was never really the studious type growing up. My role was more as an athletic director.”

“Oh, you were that bad of a teacher, huh?” I joked.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” He smiled.

I shrugged, stalling for time as I took a sip of my drink. “I’m just saying, most people who end up in those kind of positions are there because they can’t do anything else.”

“Okay, Miss Educator, so tell me. How did you get into your area of expertise, whatever that may be.” He leaned back in his chair with that smug expression I’d missed so dearly. I fought to push away the swirling pit of emotion in my stomach.

“Same as Professor Xavier, I suppose. I saw the necessity for a haven for young mutants, and set to work. Getting my PhD was the easy part. Now I just need to actually find a way to get the place up and running. That’s why I was going to him for help.”

“I can see you doing that,” he mused. I found myself captivated as he lost himself in thought. The light beamed in the window to light up his skin just right. With the shine off his currently shorter hair than last I saw him, he seemed to glow. Just not in the destructive way that I hoped to never see again.

“Do you think he’ll help me?” I asked finally.

His eyes snapped back to reality, settling on mine. “Yeah, I don’t see why he wouldn’t.”

I was digging myself further and further into a pit of lies. My only hope now was that Charles would be able to help send me home. Would he even be able to?

~

I let Alex lead me into the mansion a few days later. Charles had managed to clear a space in his schedule by his request. Nibbling on my fingernails, I waited in a chair outside his office door. It was sort of comical, like a student in trouble.

‘You can come in now,’ his voice echoed in my mind. I took a deep breath before standing and entering the room. He looked so much younger. I’d almost forgotten who Charles with hair looked like. “You’re not really here to talk about a school,” he said, slightly disappointed.

I shook my head. “I’m sorry. I’m here because I need your help. It’s actually because of you that I’m here.”

“I sent two people back…?” He sighed, pinching his brow.

“What?” I perked up. Two? Who else had he sent back?

“Nothing, it’s all in the past- well, future, but not anymore- it doesn’t matter.” He waved his hand dismissively, leaving me utterly perplexed. “The point is, you need my help getting home.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

He sighed again before turning and wheeling himself out from behind his desk. Be patted my knee sympathetically. “I’m sorry, but there’s nothing I can do. As far as I was told before, it was only your consciousness that was sent back here. Your physical form is still back where you left it. The only reason you wouldn’t be able to wake up back there is if you aren’t there at all.”

“How would I wake myself up?” I questioned, my head beginning to spin. How much had I screwed up?

“I don’t know how much you’ve screwed up, only you can tell, but there is one thing we can try.” His eyes were downcast as if he was uncomfortable with whatever he was about to suggest.

“I’ll do anything,” I begged.

“The only way for you to wake up there is if you’re in danger here. It’s similar to a dream, if your heart rate accelerates enough, you’ll wake up. So, we need to put you in a dangerous situation,” Charles explained.

~

Days turned into weeks and still I was stuck in 1976. We tried everything we could think of beyond someone attacking me. Adrenaline shots and minor electrocution did nothing but give me anxiety. My heart couldn’t take any more abuse. I resigned myself to sticking around.

“Hey,” Alex greeted, taking a seat beside me as I holed myself up in the library. “I haven’t seen you in forever. What happened? It seems like you’ve been avoiding me.”

Well he wasn’t wrong. After I succumbed to the fact that I was stuck, I promised myself I wouldn’t get attached. Alex was going to die in less than ten years. While that was a significant amount of time, I wasn’t going to spend it dwelling on the inevitable end. “I’ve just been busy,” I said.

“Looks like it. How’s it going? Did Charles agree to help you out?” He was so concerned, so pure in his curiosity. I missed his unwavering support so much.

“There’s not much he can do.” I gave him a reassuring half smile. “It’s probably not going to work out, but he’s offered to let me hang around here for awhile. I might be able to… come up with new curriculum or something.”

“Sorry to hear it.” He paused before letting out a breathy laugh as he shook his head. “I don’t know what it is, but for some reason I’m glad you’re staying. Even if it’s just for a little while. There’s something about you.” As much as I tried to resist, my eyes locked on his. His hand inched over and began to take hold of mine. My breath hitched before I slipped it away from his grip.

“I’m sorry, I have to go,” I mumbled.

~

Alex repeatedly tried to get my attention in the following days. He’d smile and wave as he passed in the hall while I averted my gaze. Occasionally he tried to get me involved in more of the goings on at the school, but I always found excuses. I could tell he was getting more and more frustrated with each interaction. Good, maybe he’d finally give up and leave me alone. However, that didn’t stop him. He continued to give me the polite nods and kind words. It wouldn’t be long until I broke, Alex Summers was irresistible to me. There was only one way to put an end to both of our pining.

I found myself the next day in the room Charles leant me for my stay. It wasn’t mine, even if it once had been. A bag laid open on the bed in front of me. Taking a shaky breath, I steeled myself for what I had to do. I’d been there long enough to have collected a few items of my own and I couldn’t just leave them behind. A soft knock on the door behind me had my heart leaping in my throat. I stumbled across the room and opened it.

“Alex,” I squeaked.

“Hey, I was just-” he broke off as he looked over my head at the mess behind me. “You’re leaving.” It wasn’t a question. I heard the silent resign in his voice.

“I’ve been here long enough, I need-”

“Don’t leave!” He pleaded, placing a hand on both of my shoulders. “Is it because of me? I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have been so annoying.”

“No, it’s not that. I just can’t be here anymore.”

“Is it Charles then? I can talk to him! I’ll-I’ll convince him!”

“No, it’s not-”

“Then what is it? Why do you need to leave?” My eyes began to prick with tears as his voice became more and more desperate.

“I’m not from here, Alex,” I whispered. “I was sent back here by accident. I’m from thirty years in the future.”

His brow furrowed in confusion. “What are you talking about?” More tears leaked out as his hands squeezed me slightly tighter.

“I knew you then. We weren’t supposed to meet for another two years and now I’ve screwed everything up. I can’t go back because I’ve changed too much. My future doesn’t exist. I lost you once, I can’t lose you again.” I broke down in sobs, finally. Alex stood still a moment, staring, before he pulled me into a tight hug. My body shook as I clung to him dearly. The feeling of being so close to him made things perfectly right again and yet tore me apart. So many emotions bubbled up inside me and couldn’t escape. His scent and warmth and heartbeat were all too familiar.

“You don’t need to lose me,” he said, his chest vibrating against my cheek. “We can go away. You know what’s going to happen, we can stop it.”

I sniffled as I pulled away. His eyes searched mine for some kind of answer. It was wrong, and I knew it, but no one can blame me for making the selfish decision. I nodded. Alex leaned down, pressing soft kisses to my face, wiping away my tears.

“I’ll go pack my things.”


End file.
